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In the Dead of Night
"I regret to report that early [Friday] morning a thief drove into the Richmond Yacht Club storage yard and stole the equipment trailer for our J/125 Velvet Hammer," reports Will Paxton.
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Splash!
We recently told you about New Zealand’s friendly divers who pop up from time to time to check on the status of your boat’s bottom.
Waiting Out the Pandemic
SailGP has suspended racing for the remainder of 2020. The league will reschedule Season 2 events for 2021. Two of the impacted events already have new dates for 2021: San Francisco on April 17-18 and…
May Issue Hits the Docks
Since sometime way back in 1977, Latitude 38 has never missed publishing a monthly issue. We might be living in strange times, but the times are not strange enough to make us miss an issue now!
Free Range Sailing
Despite the uncertainty about the near future, registration for the 12th annual Delta Doo Dah cruising rally has been robust.
Get the Magazine at Home
Our Shelter-in-Place (*SIP) Special was a great success. Even though that offer has expired, you can still get Latitude 38 mailed to your home.
Designer of Fast Yachts
Who was the greatest San Francisco Bay racing sailor ever? In the opinion of Bay sailing legends the finest racing skipper in the early 20th Century was…
No Inter-Island Sailing
All State harbors are closed. No new boats. Inter-island travel is prohibited. One of our Waikiki YC neighbors scored a $5,000 fine for violating this.
Messages to the Neighbors
"When you live in Sacramento like I do and miss sailing on San Francisco Bay with your buddies (like I do), what else was I supposed to do? I dug deep into my gear box…"
The Original Longboard
It’s the original longboard, a Southern California surfing machine that is capable of sustained 15-knot downwind speeds.
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Washing, waxing, varnishing. Serving the entire Bay Area for more than 30 years. “I have never seen the teak look so good."
Commentary
Today, New Zealand went from its “Level 4” lockdown — the highest, most strict tier — down to “Level 3.” More businesses will be allowed to open, and more activities will be allowed.
Pandemic Adjustments
"There are two ways to say this: R2AK and SEVENTY48 are canceled in 2020. R2AK and SEVENTY 2020 aren’t canceled, but you can’t cross the starting line until 2021."
Resourceful Sailor Series
We’ve heard the mantra before, “Chafe is your enemy.” I thought this upon noticing the tow bridle for a friend’s inflatable dinghy was rubbing at its attachment points.
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National Weather Service
"In a move that could simplify and potentially reduce misunderstanding of urgent weather messages used by recreational boaters to make critical boating safety decisions, the National Weather Service (NWS) has proposed renaming 'Small Craft Advisory to 'Small Craft Warning'."
BIG DREAMS TINY BOAT
Wilbur Spaul achieved a significant milestone in his bid to sail the smallest boat to Hawaii: In February, he chainsawed the 8-ft Chubby Girl into pieces and tossed them into a dumpster.
The Aloha State
Fortunately, there are many other great spots to anchor or moor a cruising yacht while sailing in the oft-misunderstood cruising ground that makes up the Hawaiian Islands.
Creative Alternatives
This coming Sunday, April 26, was to have been Opening Day on the Bay. Amazingly, the parade is on — but not in the usual fashion. Instead, PICYA invites sailors to enter model boats in a virtual parade.
Lockdown Reading Material
We asked Randall Reeves if he was going to write a book about the Figure 8 Voyage — or voyages. Reeves had been writing a blog since long before he departed on his singlehanded, round-the-bottom- and-top-of-the-world-in-one-season trips.
DIY Boat Projects
During the Saturday of February's Corinthian Yacht Club Midwinters race, Raccoon was hit hard, breaking the hull and deck joint and severely fracturing the hull.
On the Big Island
Radio Bay, near Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, has been available as an anchorage and seawall mooring safe haven for cruising boats for decades.
Inland Cruising Rally
By the time you read this, we will have opened registration for Delta Doo Dah Dozen. We're hopeful that the sailors who sign up for this inland rally will actually be able to cast off their docklines and cruise the Delta.
We're shining our Latitude 38 spotlight on local sailing instructors, the on-the-water community of folks who introduce newcomers to our lifetime sport. Trevor Steel is the head of instruction at Berkeley's Olympic Circle Sailing Center (OCSC).
They're Always Ready
On Friday, the Coast Guard came to the aid of an overturned kayak in Bay Area waters. The kayaker was rescued off the beach town of Pacifica, just south of San Francisco.
SIP with Latitude 38
Now offering a Shelter-in-Place special. Three months is just a ‘sip’ of Latitude 38. You can read Latitude 38 at home. The last day to sign up is April 24.
Keeping the Kids Entertained
The Broderick boys, Preston, Elljay and Tyler, 'Sailing in Place' (SIP). They enjoyed their day on the wild, windy, wavy driveway very much, although it appears the conditions dismasted their sturdy craft.
The Book That Got me Hooked on Cook
In November 1769, the HMS Endeavour, under the command of Captain James Cook, sailed into Maramaratotara Bay, New Zealand, to observe yet another rare astronomical event.
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The Season Begins May 15
"We are approximately a month from the start of the Eastern Pacific Ocean Tropical Cyclone Season." The season officially begins on May 15 and lasts through November 30. "So how active will the season be this year?"
SIP with Latitude 38
Now offering a Shelter-in-Place special. Three months is just a ‘sip’ of Latitude 38. You can read Latitude 38 at home. The last day to sign up is April 24.
The Maritime Icon of Dana Point
Here's an update on the sinking of the 'Pilgrim', the full-scale replica of the merchant brig made famous in Richard Henry Dana's Two Years Before the Mast.
The World Famous L38
Here's your April Caption Contest(!). Be sure to check out the May issue of Latitude 38 for the winner and top 10 entries.
While Sheltering in Place
We can already see that we've turned the corner on sailing events. Now the announcements of SIP alternatives have outpaced the slowing trickle of cancellations.
ADAPTING
Read why cruisers are more adaptable to changing conditions in Tim Henry's feature, The Cruisers Mindset, Adapting to Any Conditions.
Coping with COVID-19
There is no law restricting sailing on San Francisco Bay, though each county has issued guidelines supporting the governor's overall shelter-in-place directive.
Latitude in New Zealand
In 1768, Captain James Cook set sail aboard the 97-ft bark Endeavour, bound for the South Pacific. King George III dispatched the ship from Plymouth.
SIP with Latitude 38
Now offering a Shelter-in-Place special. Three months is just a ‘sip’ of Latitude 38. You can read Latitude 38 at home. The last day to sign up is April 24.